A two-speed electric car market is heading for a crash
[ad_1]
The world's auto industry is accelerating in two directions at once. Unless those contradictions are resolved, carmakers risk running themselves off the road.In China and Europe, the transition to electric vehicles is gathering pace. Battery-powered autos made up nearly a quarter of sales in both markets in August, according to Morgan Stanley, with plug-in hybrids lifting the total share to 38% and 28%, respectively. Things look very different in the US and India, where penetration is struggling to break north of 10%, and in Japan, where it's on life support at 3%. Honda Motor Co. said last week it was dropping plans to build a sub-$30,000 EV with General Motors Co., while GM and Ford Motor Co. and have pushed back targets for boosting sales of battery vehicles. Even Elon Musk ha...